Reduced expression of CD69 and adhesion molecules of T lymphocytes in asthmatic children receiving immunotherapy

T lymphocytes play a fundamental role in the initiation and regulation of chronic inflammatory responses in patients with asthma. CD69 is an early marker of T‐cell activation. The levels of intercellular adhesion molecule‐1 (ICAM‐1, CD54) and L ‐selectin have been reported to increase in patients with allergic diseases and asthma. The present study was therefore undertaken to investigate the expression of CD69, CD54, and L ‐selectin by T lymphocytes of children with asthma, before and after immunotherapy. Eighteen children newly diagnosed with asthma, 11 good and nine poor responders to immunotherapy, and 16 normal subjects, were enrolled in this study. The percentages of CD69⁺, CD54⁺, and CD62L⁺ cells in T lymphocytes were measured by using flow cytometry. The levels of CD69, CD54, and CD62L in serum and culture supernatants were determined by using enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The expression of CD69 and CD54 on CD3⁺ T lymphocytes was significantly higher in children with asthma than in control patients. All the patient groups expressed (spontaneously and following stimulation with phorbol myristate acetate and ionomycin together with mite‐extract proteins) greater amounts of CD69 and CD54 than did control subjects. With long‐term immunotherapy, the percentages of CD69⁺ and CD54⁺ T lymphocytes were significantly lower in patients with a good response to immunotherapy. Our results also showed significantly lower serum L ‐selectin levels following immunotherapy. In conclusion, successful immunotherapy resulted in decreased expression and production of CD69 and CD54. These results may explain, in part, the clinical efficacy of immunotherapy.     

Movements of cultured corneal epithelial cells and stromal fibroblasts in electric fields

The effects of an externally applied direct-current electric field on the movement of cultured rabbit corneal epithelial cells and stromal fibroblasts were studied. After a latency of approximately 20 minutes in an electric field, both epithelial cells and stromal fibroblasts became spindle shaped and underwent galvanotropism by aligning their long axes perpendicular to the applied electric field. The electric field stimulus thresholds for galvanotropic movements in epithelial cells and stromal fibroblasts were 4V/cm and 6 V/cm, respectively. After an additional latency of 30 minutes, both cell types manifested galvanotaxic movements: epithelial cells commenced migration in the cathodal (downfield) direction and stromal fibroblasts in the anodal (upfield) direction. For both types of cells, ruffled membranes and lamellipodia were abundant at the leading edges of migrating cells and cell processes underwent retraction at the trailing edges. At field strengths of above 10 V/cm, evidence of cellular damage (manifested by cellular rounding and detachment), attributable to the electric field treatment, was observed after 4 hours. These preliminary results suggest that galvanotaxic responses could be exploited clinically in the enhancement of corneal wound healing.     

小切口胆囊切除术108例临床观察

本文报告腹部切口５－８ｃｍ的小切口胆囊切除术１０８例，与同期大切口胆囊切除术相比，具有创伤较小、恢复较快、并发症少、切口疤痕小的优点，虽不如腹腔镜胆囊切除术（ＬＣ）的疼痛轻、恢复快，但并症比ＬＣ少，只要适应症选择得当，在术者的经验和技术较成熟的情况下，不昔为一种可供选择的方法。     

脑干区占位病变的手术入路

本文报告了1990年5月以来脑干区大型、复杂占位病变15例.其中,位于脑干内3例,脚间窝2例,岩尖部4例,全岩骨区1例,全斜坡区2例,第四脑室内3例.本组采用以扩大了的岩骨入路为主的联合入路,行肿瘤全切除8例,次全切除5例.2例仅作了活检加减压术.除1例死亡外,均恢复良好.本文结合文献,对脑干区手术入路进行了讨论.     

Propionic acidemia: report of a case that is successfully managed by peritoneal dialysis and sodium benzoate therapy

Propionic acidemia is a rare hereditary disease which is an autosomal recessive disorder. Defect of propionyl CoA carboxylase results in abnormal accumulation of propionate and its metabolites which interfere the pathway of glycine cleavage and the urea cycle. This organic acidemia is characterized by a wide spectrum of clinical and biochemical findings, including recurrent vomiting, difficult feeding, lethargy, hypotonia, metabolic ketoacidosis, hyperglycinemia and hyperammonemia during the acute episodes. We present a male newborn infant who sustained this disorder and was managed successfully with blood exchange transfusion, peritoneal dialysis, supplemented with sodium benzoate and sodium bicarbonate therapy. Urine gas chromatography disclosed significant elevation of propionate and its metabolites which subsided 2 days after peritoneal dialysis. Special designed formula was then given with restriction of protein intake and supplement with sodium benzoate and sodium carbonate. Prenatal genetic counseling is necessary in further pregnancy. Diagnosis can be obtained when propionyl CoA carboxylase activity is low in cultured amniotic fluid cells or chorion villi sample or when there is abnormally high methylcitrate level in amniotic fluid.     

Old pulmonary embolism causing intrabronchial bleeding

A 51-year-old man was admitted because of hemoptysis. Physical examinations and chest XP revealed no abnormal findings. Fiberoptic bronchoscopy showed pulsatile bleeding at the orifice of right B6. Right bronchial arteriography showed a markedly dilated and tortous bronchial artery and shunting to the pulmonary arterial system in the middle and lower lobes. Pulmonary arteriography showed complete obstruction of the right middle lobar and lower lobe segmental arteries (A6, 9, 10). The hemoptysis was thought to be due to increased blood flow of the right bronchial artery, which compensated for reduced right pulmonary arterial flow. Right middle and lower lobe resection was done to prevent further hemoptysis. The resected specimen revealed old thromboemboli in the right middle and lower lobe pulmonary arteries. In this case old pulmonary embolism should be considered as a cause of intrabronchial bleeding.     

A Bronchial Response Comparison of Exercise and Methacholine in Asthmatic Subjects

The authors compared the inhaled methacholine and exercise responses in 22 stable unmedicated asthmatic patients. The exercise and methacholine challenges were performed at one to three week intervals. Bronchial responsiveness to methacholine was measured in relation to the concentration of methacholine (PC₂₀M). The response to exercise was expressed as the percentage of fall in FEV₁, from the pre-exercise FEV₁ The findings showed that 21 of 22 subjects demonstrated a fall in FEV₁, of more than 20% after methacholine challenge, while only 9/22 subjects experienced a similar decrease in FEV₁. All 9 of these positive response exercise cases completed three consecutive exercise challenges prior to the methacholine challenge. Of these cases, five were refractory to the repeated exercise challenge, and the PD₂₀M at the nonexercise stage was significantly lower than the postexercise state. In fact, the methacholine challenge sensitivity actually decreased (PD₂₀ increased) after repeated exercise. The authors concluded that methacholine seems to be a more sensitive bronchial provocation test than exercise. Second, only 55.6% of the exercise test-positive subjects were refractory to the second exercise challenge. Therefore, other factors besides the release of mediators should be considered in exercise induced asthma. Third, methacholine sensitivity actually decreased (PD₂₀ increases) after repeat exercise challenge.     

Effect of temperature in focal ischemia of rat brain studied by 31P and 1H spectroscopic imaging

³¹P, ¹H and lactate spectroscopic imaging was used to evaluate the effects of hypothermia on focal cerebral ischemia produced by middle cerebral artery occlusion. The effects on high energy phosphate metabolism, pH, lactate and NAA were investigated in 24 spontaneously hypertensive rats subjected to either permanent or transient ischemia. Under either normothermic (37.5°C) or hypothermic (32°C) conditions, with permanent 6-h occlusion, there was little difference between groups in either the NMR measurements or the volume of infarction. In animals that underwent 3 h of ischemia followed by 12 h of reperfusion, the ischemic changes in lactate, pH, NAA, and high-energy phosphate returned toward control values, and there was a protective effect of hypothermia (infarct volume of 211 ± 26 and 40 ± 14 mm³ in normothermic and hypothermic groups, respectively). Thus, hypothermia did not ameliorate the changes in lactate, pH, NAA, or high energy phosphate levels occurring during ischemia, however, during reperfusion there was an improvement in both the recovery of these metabolites and pathological outcome in hypothermic compared with normothermic animals.